Chapter 455 – My Master Is Not Human – The Return of the Favored One (02)
The mountain gates opened, and the Cloud Ascending Stairway appeared.
Who still remembered the small disturbance just now? Everyone hurried forward, stepping onto the stairway, afraid that if they were even a moment too slow, the available spots would be taken by others. Although the Le’an Immortal Sect recruits disciples every five years, the number of places is limited. The best outcome is to be accepted under one of the peak masters; if not chosen, one would be assigned to the outer sect as a menial disciple. They had come to cultivate immortality—not to do chores.
Above, the Sect Master and the elders and peak masters observed the chaotic scene below through a water mirror, all shaking their heads. The overall quality of this year’s applicants wasn’t particularly impressive. Still, there were a few promising ones—the one in blue looked good, and the one in purple was acceptable as well.
Where some were noisy and frantic, others remained calm and composed. Pei Boyi belonged to the latter.
He ascended the stairway at an unhurried pace, completely unconcerned with how many people rushed up from behind him or even overtook him. His calm and unruffled demeanor stood in stark contrast to the others’ anxious urgency, seeming somewhat out of place—yet at the same time, entirely natural. The bearing of this little beggar was beyond that of ordinary people; he would surely achieve something extraordinary in the future.
The Sect Master nodded with a smile as he watched Pei Boyi. “Not bad, not bad—neither arrogant nor impatient. He has potential.”
The other peak masters also smiled upon seeing this, but Wen Leng remarked indifferently, “There are still trials ahead.”
The elders paused, and the smiles on their faces faded slightly. Indeed, the Cloud Ascending Stairway was not merely a path to the mountain gate—it was primarily a test of one’s willpower and perseverance. The further one went, the heavier each step would feel, and illusions would begin to appear. Those with weak resolve would lose control of themselves, unable to break free from the illusions or continue forward.
The Sect Master said, “Let’s keep watching. There’s still a full day left—no need to rush.”
Everyone nodded and continued to observe the water mirror, searching for promising candidates. Meanwhile, Wen Leng, who had just caused a moment of awkwardness, kept her gaze fixed on Pei Boyi. She had a feeling—this person could help her achieve the Great Dao.
Wen Leng had been stuck at the Nascent Soul (Divine Soul) stage for far too long. She was on the verge of breaking through, yet had encountered a bottleneck, and crucially, she still did not know what her tribulation point was. But today, upon seeing Pei Boyi through the water mirror, she felt certain at a glance that this boy would be her opportunity. If he could reach the mountain gate, she would definitely take him as her disciple.
There’s a saying: man proposes, heaven disposes—plans can’t keep up with changes.
Daoist Heyi, who had hardly stepped out of Medicine Peak for nearly a hundred years, had finally emerged. Dressed in a green Daoist robe, his baby face looked exceptionally adorable. From his appearance alone, no one would ever guess that he had cultivated from a squirrel into human form and advanced to the Out-of-Body stage.
The path of cultivation is arduous; each realm is a major leap. Although Bai Tang’s cultivation level was the lowest among the peak masters, no one dared to look down on him. Whenever they went out, they relied on his medicines—after all, their lives and safety were in Bai Tang’s hands. Who would dare offend him?
Bai Tang’s appearance caused quite a stir. The Sect Master looked at the youthful face before him and was reminded of the timid little demon cultivator who had just been brought up the mountain by their master, hiding behind him.
“Junior Brother, you’ve come out of seclusion,” the Sect Master said with a smile. “It’s been a long time—you seem much more at peace now.”
“Senior Brother Sect Master~” Bai Tang’s voice was soft and sweet, like a cloud. Anyone who didn’t know him would never associate him with the rumored Daoist Heyi, who disliked crowds and preferred a quiet, solitary life.
“Xiao Tang, are you planning to take on disciples this time?” The speaker was Fu Maiwen, the Peak Master of Talisman Peak. Among the five great peaks, the masters of Music Peak and Talisman Peak were both Bai Tang’s senior brothers, and they doted on this adorable junior brother immensely. The current Sect Master did as well. This was why, in the original storyline, despite Bai Tang’s many outrageous actions, he was never expelled—the peak masters indulged him without limits. If not for the male lead humiliating Bai Tang in front of all the disciples, making it difficult for the peak masters to continue defending him for the sake of the sect’s reputation, the male lead might very well have been sent to Bai Tang’s Medicine Peak by the joint decision of several peak masters not long after.
“Mm-hmm, it’s been a while. Are you all well, Senior Brothers?” Bai Tang smiled sweetly at Fu Maiwen, causing the latter’s heart to skip a beat.
Their junior brother was so innocent and unguarded, smiling at everyone. What if he were tricked away with just a few words someday? Fu Maiwen thought to himself that he must protect this junior brother well and not let him go down the mountain so easily.
This thought wasn’t unique to Fu Maiwen—several of the senior brothers thought the same. They exchanged glances and saw the same resolve in each other’s eyes, while the person concerned, Bai Tang, remained completely unaware.
Bai Tang was the kind of person who returned kindness with kindness. Anyone who greeted him warmly received a response in kind, along with a generous “welcome gift”—three Huili Rejuvenation Pills. These pills could not only quickly restore physical strength and rejuvenate the body, but more importantly, rapidly replenish a cultivator’s depleted spiritual power. They were truly rare, life-saving treasures.
Spiritual medicines are hard to come by, and these few pills had cost Bai Tang an unknown amount of effort. The Sect Master and the peak masters felt ashamed to accept them and refused.
“Please take them, Senior Brothers. This is my heartfelt gift… Could it be that you dislike me?” Bai Tang’s smile faded, and a trace of unease appeared between his brows. He rarely left the mountain and had contributed little to the sect—perhaps his senior brothers also found him useless.
With a pitiful expression that looked as though he might cry at any moment, Bai Tang made the hearts of his senior brothers ache deeply.
“It’s a token of Tang Tang’s sincerity—how could we possibly dislike it? Then we’ll gratefully accept.” The Sect Master took the lead in accepting the gift, and the others followed suit. Only then did Bai Tang break into a smile.
Every peak master received a share, and the female lead was not left out either.
Wen Leng didn’t stand on ceremony; she simply nodded to Bai Tang in thanks. Sword cultivators walk the Dao through the sword, and injuries are a common occurrence. Because of the killing intent they carry, their wounds tend to be more severe than those of other cultivators. The Huili Rejuvenation Pills were therefore especially valuable to them. Even if she didn’t use them herself, her disciples could.
While they were exchanging pleasantries, the children who had rushed ahead on the Cloud Ascending Stairway began to slow down.
“Someone’s fallen!” someone exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention back to the scenes displayed in the water mirror.
Some of the children at the front collapsed from exhaustion, while others turned pale, their eyes unfocused—clearly trapped in illusions.
The illusions here were different from the game-like illusions of the previous world. These were random: they could be sweet, terrifying, or utterly mesmerizing. The Cloud Ascending Stairway tested not only willpower but also clarity of perception. Without strong determination and the ability to distinguish truth from illusion, one could easily stray onto a demonic path in cultivation.
As they watched child after child fall, the onlookers shook their heads. Bai Tang, however, fixed his gaze on one particular water mirror. It showed only one person—Pei Boyi, his beloved.
A Yi, we’re about to meet again.
The higher one climbed, the heavier their legs felt, as though sandbags were being tied to them, making each step harder to lift.
While Bai Tang was watching Pei Boyi, Pei Boyi seemed to sense it as well. He looked upward, meeting Bai Tang’s gaze across the distance.
Bai Tang’s heart began to race. He felt a shy embarrassment, as if they were openly showing affection in front of everyone. He quickly averted his gaze, yet worried about missing any of Pei Boyi’s movements. What if someone bullied him while he wasn’t watching? He wouldn’t even know whom to seek revenge on.
Blushing, Bai Tang stared fixedly at Pei Boyi in the water mirror. It was as if Pei Boyi had a camera trained on him—knowing that Tang Tang was watching, he silently mouthed the words: “Tang Tang, I’m coming.”
“Daoist Heyi , are you feeling unwell? Your face is quite red.” The one who spoke was Li Tong, the Peak Master of Artifact Peak. He had originally been a rogue cultivator with exceptional talent. After being ambushed and seriously injured by a group of demonic cultivators, he was saved by the former Sect Master, who then extended an invitation to him. In gratitude, Li Tong willingly joined the Le’an Immortal Sect and took charge of Artifact Peak as its master.
“Ah, n-no, I’m fine. Maybe it’s just a bit too hot,” Bai Tang said awkwardly, trying to brush it off.
At this, the Sect Master and the others frowned.
At their level of cultivation, they were no longer affected by heat or cold. Besides, it was already early autumn—the weather had cooled, so it hardly made sense to call it “too hot.”
Standing nearby, Le Xiyin, the Peak Master of Music Peak, suddenly took Bai Tang’s hand and began to check his pulse.
“Senior Brother Xiyin, what’s wrong?” Bai Tang was startled. He resisted the urge to pull his hand away, not quite used to physical contact with men other than his own beloved.
“It’s nothing. Your pulse is steady,” Le Xiyin said. However, his tightly furrowed brows did not relax in the slightest. There was clearly nothing wrong, which only made it stranger—how could Bai Tang feel hot?
Le Xiyin released his hand. After a moment’s thought, he added with concern, “Tang Tang, if anything’s wrong, tell your senior brothers. Don’t keep it to yourself.”
“Okay~” Bai Tang nodded obediently and tucked his hand into his sleeve, afraid someone might suddenly grab it again. Fortunately, his beloved wasn’t here—if he saw and misunderstood, his doting senior brothers might not end well.
When it came to treating illnesses, no one in the Le’an Immortal Sect was more skilled than Bai Tang. If even he couldn’t detect anything wrong with his own body, it was only natural that others couldn’t see any issue either.
The Sect Master and the others had no choice but to keep a quiet watch and consider sending people to thoroughly inspect the sect after the disciple selection was over. They had to make sure no suspicious individuals had slipped in and harmed their junior brother.
Meanwhile, Pei Boyi had reached the illusion segment of the Cloud Ascending Stairway. However, these illusions were nothing to him. With his strong willpower, scenes of blades and seas of fire were trivial—he had seen far worse.
The illusions were random. The one Pei Boyi encountered was neither particularly good nor bad, but it was highly tempting: gold and silver treasures, high office in the imperial court, and great power in one’s hands. For most people, such temptations would be hard to resist. But who was Pei Boyi? He had been an emperor multiple times—such petty illusions were nothing. If anything, an illusion of Tangtang being injured would have been far more disturbing to him.
He easily broke through the illusion and continued step by step toward the mountain gate—toward where his Tangtang was.
Pei Boyi was neither the first to reach the top nor the last, but he was the only one who arrived without any change in expression—his heartbeat steady, his breathing calm.
The Sect Master stroked his beard and looked at him with satisfaction. Though dressed in ragged clothes, the boy’s heroic bearing was unmistakable. A good seedling—truly a promising one.
The best case would be a single spiritual root, allowing for focused cultivation. The more spiritual roots one had, the harder it was to cultivate, especially since some elements conflicted with each other. If the boy had a single root, that would be even better.